Best and fastest way to sharpen kitchen knives?

O

oscyp

Joined
Jul 24, 2023
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I became more and more interested in kitchen knives at the beginning of this year. I already have two Victorinox Fibrox, but I was unable to make them sharp for more than 1 week. I tried pull through sharpener that was advised to me in local knife shop and whetstones. Both of them gave mediocre results regarding both edge retentions and sharpness. Of course my whetstone skills are horrible. 🙂

I thought that maybe the knives themselves were a problem and bought $250 SG2 Gyuto knife and $100 VG10 pairing knife. I didn't even try to sharpen them myself using whetstones, I got them professionally sharpened in the Japanese knife shop that I bought them in (stellar google reviews). They're both beautiful, can get very sharp and can stay sharp longer, but... they can do it for 2-3 weeks. In the meantime, I bought Worksharp Precision Adjust system but was a little hesitant to use them on my expensive Japanese Knives given the short clamp and not good stability. I sharpened some of my other knives, and the results were really good, but it takes a long time and they stayed sharp for only two weeks. I even bought after magnetic blade holder attachment, but I'm still waiting for it to be shipped to me.

In the end, I'm around 400$ poorer, and my initial issues were not resolved. 🙂

I can appreciate the craftsmanship of the knife, they look beautiful, but in the end I need a tool. A cutting tool and sharpening tool. I lost hope to get expensive knife that will just stay sharp and need sharpening only every 6 months-1 year. Worksharp PA is cool and all, but it takes ~15 min per knife, every 2-3 weeks, which quickly adds up with multiple knives. I know that there are other fixed angle systems out there, but the time investment is still there.

Is there a fast and easy way I can sharpen these beautiful expensive knives without ruining them? Worksharp Ken Onion? Or should I rather sell my expensive knives and abuse Victorinoxes with an electric sharpener?
 
Spyderco Sharpmaker is very good for edge maintenance. I use it on all of my kitchen tools, field knives and folding knives. I’m a retired chef with a small farm and all of the attendant chores. Beyond the Sharpmaker I use a Wicked Edge system.

Pull through carbide manual and electric wheel sharpeners remove a lot of metal quickly reducing the life of the blade.

EDIT: Workshop is a decent system with its own pros and cons. But regular maintenance with a Sharpmaker will reduce the times you use it.
 
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Well NO - knives need sharpening occasionally and there are no short cuts. An electric kitchen knife sharpener will just get them used up and abused faster.
The Spyderco Sharpmaker is a great EDGE KEEPER and as has been said, easy to learn to use. Doesn't take up any valuable countertop space either.

One thing to consider though is how you use the knives. I've watched folks chop and slice on ceramic plates or other hard surfaces as if they are wood cutting boards and that is all about abusing the knife edge. Another technique that seems to be ubiquitous is after someone does their proper cutting board slicing and dicing they use the edge of the blade as a scraper to push their cuts into a pan or onto a plate. Simply flipping the knife over and using the spine as the scraping edge will add lots of life to that sharp edge. Not saying you do any of these things but just adding some awareness. Good luck with your quest.
 
I have used bench stones for half a century (longer, actually), starting with carborundum, then Arkansas stones, and around 30 years ago turned to DMT diamond hones. The various sharpening systems seem unnecessarily complicated and cumbersome to me, although they will produce precise angles. I've found freehand sharpening will produce a hair-popping edge on any steel. An angle guide is a useful accessory but not necessary most of the time. Victorinox uses something like 1.4110 steel (along with a lot of other major kitchen knife makers) which is adequate for most folks, but as you've found won't hold an edge as long as higher grade steels. Freehand sharpening isn't complicated: hold a consistent angle, start with a coarse hone until you create a burr, then finish on a finer hone.
 
It's easier to maintain a sharp knife then to let it go and then have to bring it back. I've used belt grinders, paper wheels ken onion work sharp and various whetstones and diamond plates. Every system works. Learn one and stay at it. Freehand takes longer to learn but you can sharpen a knife anywhere with that skill.
 
I'd also agree on the Sharpmaker as (probably) the easiest to learn & use for maintenance of kitchen cutlery and any other knives. So long as the edge isn't too neglected & extremely dull, the SM can work very well to keep it tuned up. It can be difficult & extremely slow to use if edges need complete resetting though.

In the interim, if your edges are rounded off or made too dull while still trying to learn sharpening, it may be good to take them to the pro again to set good edges in place, laying the foundation for easier sharpening afterward. Then, after practicing with other expendable knives on the SM, use it to do the occasional upkeep.

It's easier to get the feel for sharpening by testing your technique against blades that are already sharp. Take just a few passes at a time - maybe 3 or less - and pay close attention to how the edge responds. Cutting paper is an easy way to gauge that. If your starting edge was good already and you notice it seems to do a bit better after just a few passes, that'll tell you you're on the right track with your touch. On the other hand, if you notice cutting degrades a bit after just a few passes on the hones, then it's time to STOP and evaluate what part of technique needs rethinking. Holding the angle and use of light pressure are always the prime factors to watch most closely, and will make the biggest difference either way, be it good or bad.
 
Thank you so much for your replies! I'm well aware that my approach is a little bit unusual, so I'm grateful for you guys to bear with me. :)

marchone marchone Blues Blues RayseM RayseM
Spyderco Sharpmaker looks promising. How often should I use to keep the edge sharp as long as possible? How can I tell when the knife needs Sharpmaker treatment vs. whetstone/fixed angle system sharpening?

marchone marchone RayseM RayseM
I am aware of the bad reputation of electric knife sharpeners, but I was thinking of just sticking to the cheaper knives and replacing them as they degrade to the abuse from this brute force sharpening. Not sure how sustainable that would be though - after how many of these sharpenings would the knife be no longer usable? What other disadvantages do the electric sharpeners have? Is the Worksharp Ken Onion as bad as well?

RayseM RayseM
I'm using mostly cheap polyethylene cutting boards, and a wood board occasionally. Would you advise against plastic boards? I read that Asahi boards are recommended, but the price forced me to look the other way. I'm always using the spine to push cuts off, something I learned really fast while working in a restaurant couple of years ago.

A Alberta Ed
I have some budget whetstones, however, my hands seem not to be designed for doing anything with precise, patient, and steady movement. How often do you need to sharpen your kitchen knives?

B Bill3152
What is your opinion on Ken Onion's Work Sharp system? What is the biggest disadvantage in your opinion?
 
How about doing some stropping before or after you do your kitchen duties? I like the white ceramic sticks, but there are metal rods or even a rolled up magazine can tune an edge.
 
oscyp said:
Thank you so much for your replies! I'm well aware that my approach is a little bit unusual, so I'm grateful for you guys to bear with me. :)

marchone marchone Blues Blues RayseM RayseM
Spyderco Sharpmaker looks promising. How often should I use to keep the edge sharp as long as possible? How can I tell when the knife needs Sharpmaker treatment vs. whetstone/fixed angle system sharpening?

marchone marchone RayseM RayseM
I am aware of the bad reputation of electric knife sharpeners, but I was thinking of just sticking to the cheaper knives and replacing them as they degrade to the abuse from this brute force sharpening. Not sure how sustainable that would be though - after how many of these sharpenings would the knife be no longer usable? What other disadvantages do the electric sharpeners have? Is the Worksharp Ken Onion as bad as well?

RayseM RayseM
I'm using mostly cheap polyethylene cutting boards, and a wood board occasionally. Would you advise against plastic boards? I read that Asahi boards are recommended, but the price forced me to look the other way. I'm always using the spine to push cuts off, something I learned really fast while working in a restaurant couple of years ago.

A Alberta Ed
I have some budget whetstones, however, my hands seem not to be designed for doing anything with precise, patient, and steady movement. How often do you need to sharpen your kitchen knives?

B Bill3152
What is your opinion on Ken Onion's Work Sharp system? What is the biggest disadvantage in your opinion?
Click to expand...

My knives need to be touched up when they no longer slice through tomato skin easily. Even a coarse working edge will slice bread.

Do a search in this forum for opinions and experiences with the Ken Onion WorkSharp system.
 
O oscyp

I check my wife's knives after each usage...to determine if the edge is rolled, chipped or dulled in any way. (She cuts on a cutting board.) With the Sharpmaker, I give it a few swipes on the brown stones and am generally back in business. (Because I don't let it get dull after having given the knives a proper sharpening previously.)

It's very easy and doesn't require a huge commitment in learning and skill. Many of us here consider sharpening as part of the fun of the hobby...so it really depends upon how much time and money you want to invest into maintenance.
 
marchone marchone
I did, but I wasn't able to find out the comparison vs. other electric sharpeners. I read that the Ken Onion WS takes off much more steel, but I can remedy this by using cheaper knives and sharpening them more frequently. I'm just not sure what are the other downsides for someone looking at knives from a utility standpoint.

Blues Blues
Sharpmaker looks really enticing... How would you compare it to a sharpening rod? I would guess Sharpmaker is easier to use?
 
Basically, my approach is that I want to spend as little time as I need to in order to have a really sharp knife. The professional sharpening is not really as time efficient, as my local knife shop is an hour's drive away from my home. Whetstones are not for someone with my motor abilities, and sharpening on them also takes time. Guided systems take even more time.

The options that I see in my situation are to either maintain the edge as long as possible and then get it professionally sharpened or donate my Japanese knife to a friend, buy Ken Onion Work Sharp (who is from I understood, not as bad as others electronic sharpeners) and use cheaper knives with worse steel that I can quickly touch up with Ken Onion WS without any pain.
 
oscyp said:
marchone marchone
I did, but I wasn't able to find out the comparison vs. other electric sharpeners. I read that the Ken Onion WS takes off much more steel, but I can remedy this by using cheaper knives and sharpening them more frequently. I'm just not sure what are the other downsides for someone looking at knives from a utility standpoint.

Blues Blues
Sharpmaker looks really enticing... How would you compare it to a sharpening rod? I would guess Sharpmaker is easier to use?
Click to expand...
The Sharpmaker takes the guessing out of the equation in terms of trying to keep a consistent angle. The angles that Sal selected for the device are very useful, pretty much universally. (Many members here pride themselves on going thinner to see just how sharp and capable an edge they can create, but I still maintain that more than 9 out 10 folks would be satisfied with those angles for nearly any task.)

It's an ingenious tool. (If you need to remove more material than the ceramic can perform in a reasonable amount of time, there are diamond and CBN hones for the system which can be added.)

Just get one. It's a small investment and one you'll probably use for decades to come. I bought my first in the 90's and I still use it regularly despite having more stones and hones, (and a jig or two), than most any sane individual should have.
 
'Nuff said ;) Lots of good advice above. The easy slice tomato is a good test. I'm more casual as I just have a sharpening session every 2 or 3 months. I don't find that our kitchen knives get that dull that fast.
 
oscyp said:
I became more and more interested in kitchen knives at the beginning of this year. I already have two Victorinox Fibrox, but I was unable to make them sharp for more than 1 week. I tried pull through sharpener that was advised to me in local knife shop and whetstones. Both of them gave mediocre results regarding both edge retentions and sharpness. Of course my whetstone skills are horrible. 🙂

I thought that maybe the knives themselves were a problem and bought $250 SG2 Gyuto knife and $100 VG10 pairing knife. I didn't even try to sharpen them myself using whetstones, I got them professionally sharpened in the Japanese knife shop that I bought them in (stellar google reviews). They're both beautiful, can get very sharp and can stay sharp longer, but... they can do it for 2-3 weeks. In the meantime, I bought Worksharp Precision Adjust system but was a little hesitant to use them on my expensive Japanese Knives given the short clamp and not good stability. I sharpened some of my other knives, and the results were really good, but it takes a long time and they stayed sharp for only two weeks. I even bought after magnetic blade holder attachment, but I'm still waiting for it to be shipped to me.

In the end, I'm around 400$ poorer, and my initial issues were not resolved. 🙂

I can appreciate the craftsmanship of the knife, they look beautiful, but in the end I need a tool. A cutting tool and sharpening tool. I lost hope to get expensive knife that will just stay sharp and need sharpening only every 6 months-1 year. Worksharp PA is cool and all, but it takes ~15 min per knife, every 2-3 weeks, which quickly adds up with multiple knives. I know that there are other fixed angle systems out there, but the time investment is still there.

Is there a fast and easy way I can sharpen these beautiful expensive knives without ruining them? Worksharp Ken Onion? Or should I rather sell my expensive knives and abuse Victorinoxes with an electric sharpener?
Click to expand...
A few alternating edge leading strokes when the edge starts to dull is all that is required to keep those thin edged Japanese kitchen knives going for a very long time, no need for a full sharpening so often.

I do alot of cooking and my edges go longer with less wear resistant steel (mostly simple carbon), so I would be giving that plastic board the stink eye too, perhaps just use it for poultry and get an inexpensive wood board.
 
Plastic board are bad for knives. So are glass and bamboo boards. Good hardwood or rubber is the way to go.
 
Sharpmaker is good for maintenance. If you have stones already you can make a jig/holder like this for similar operation. I gave one to a friend for his kitchen knives and he loves it.
 

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